Forever Fades Away
by dawndusk47
Summary: A year after Unwound Future, Professor Layton's niece, Roxana Layton, has a strange dream...does it mean anything? Contains my OC. REWRITE IN PROGRESS
1. The Nightmare

**Update 5-2-2013: Hey guys! It has been 10 months since I very first posted this, and I'm going to say something outright: This being my first fanfic, it isn't very good. My OC, Roxana, is flat, the story is rushed, and the dialogue is awkward. I cringed when I reread this to the point where I just stopped reading in the middle of the first chapter _of my own story_. I promise you this however: I WILL rewrite this fanfic. Over the past year my writing skills have improved and I developed my own writing style, so I will definitely bring this up-to-date. I'll still stand by the concept but I'm going to change the execution a little. For now however, read at your own risk. ;) FYI, I'll delete this A/N when I repost the rewrite. Thanks everyone!**

**-ORIGINAL A/N- **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Professor Layton, only Roxana. Level 5 gets all the credit. Claire wouldn't be dead if I did own it!**

**I'd like to point out that "Forever Fades Away" by Tiger Army inspired this story along with Pixar's "Brave". Again, I don't own either. (But look both up, they're good. Especially the song )**

**Please review! :D**

* * *

Forever Fades Away

I didn't want to doze off...but I did anyway. I failed to take notes in my uncle's class which my mother would frown upon, but, seriously now, this was the fifth time I had heard the exact same course in the exact same day. Archaeology may not be my passion or strong point as engineering and technology may be, but it was considered a small interest in my book. But the way my uncle was speaking...I couldn't understand a word. Well, of course I couldn't: I was a fourteen year old in a college class.

My uncle was Professor Layton; world-renowned archaeology professor, amateur detective and puzzle solver. His sister was my mother, but I looked more like him than anyone. Sure, I had brown eyes like my father had, and I had a small figure like Mum, but I had Layton's hair color (light brown), small eyes, but probably more importantly, his intellect. My grandfather said that all those traits ran in the family anyway, mainly the intellect part. Mum always said that the professor and I might as well be father and daughter, we were so much alike (we've been mistaken for that multiple times...it became more than a pet peeve for me), not only in our looks but in our similar style of clothes and our relationship.

I never knew my father. He abandoned my mother before I was born, but the professor picked us back up. Layton became the father I never had. He and Claire played with me when I was four, I helped bring him back from depression when Claire (rest her soul) was killed, he was the one who introduced me to Sudoku, the Rubik's Cube, and engineering when I was about seven, I picked up where Luke left off after he moved to Ireland...we were inseparable, the professor and I. But that didn't stop me from spacing off and staring at a fossil on a shelf during the hundred-bizillonth course of the day.

Big Ben's three o'clock chime along with the college bell startled me awake. "Paleontology next week, don't forget, you have a quiz at the end of the month," I heard my uncle say. I blinked myself awake. "At last, no more classes..." I thought.

"Are you okay Roxana?" the professor asked me. "You've been falling asleep quite a bit today."

"Y-yeah. I'm alright," I stammer. "I just didn't sleep well last night."

"He's here!" Flora, my adopted cousin, called (scratch that, screamed) into the classroom. "Luke is finally here!"

That familiar blue wearing boy about a year younger than me walked into the room. "Guys!" he yelled as he ran to us. Luke hugged Layton, his impact staggering him a little. "Roxy! Long time no see!" (Roxy was my nickname. Every adult I knew called me by my real name though...) He came to me and we high-fived.

"No kidding!" I say excitedly. After our reunion, we walked down to the professor's office, Flora and Luke still chattering ecstatically.

Once again, I nearly fall asleep on the couch in the office. "Roxana," Layton said quietly, waking me up before I plunged headfirst into sleep. "Luke is talking." He didn't need to say the next sentence my grandmother always used on me. "It's not ladylike to fall asleep when people are talking," I think, almost telepathically. I mentally rolled my eyes. I was a tomboy, not a lady. And I liked it that way.

"Exactly how many times did you wake up last night?" Flora asks me. She and I share a room when I stay at the professor's home, and I accidentally woke her up twice last night.

"Not sure," I said. "I think I woke up about every...hour...two hours...? I don't know."

"Did you have a nightmare?" Layton asked me.

I nodded. "A recurring one." At first I didn't feel like telling them the dream, but I've noticed something about nightmares throughout my life: they always come back unless you tell someone about it. If you do, no matter how much you think about it, it'll never come back.

Besides, Luke looked like he was interested, though I knew he would never admit it. I took a deep breath. "Ok, so I was just sitting here with you guys, exactly as we are now, then everyone disappeared. No flash of light, no sound, no...like... 'poof' or anything. I was alone...then the room disappeared and all that was left was this...um...Flora what are they called? The ghost-light-things...fog almost? Folklore?"

"Will-o'-the-wisps?"

"Yeah, those. One of those was right in front of me...and the words it chanted...sung, I don't know...heck, I wrote them down as soon as I woke up so that I wouldn't forget them." I took out my journal that I recorded all of my dreams in (psychology also interested me). "'The moon reflects the Sun, the darkness is created by light, what you have lost is created by none, but your love is strong even in night, mystery will never be kept at bay, as forever fades away.' Then, it just suddenly...turned into a human...with guns and...I somehow knew it wanted to shoot me...so there was this huge chase sequence just like you see in movies and...it was just weird." Everyone looked at me with keen interest in their eyes.

"I think that chasing bit came from the movie you just watched last night Roxana," Layton said after a few moments, making sure I had nothing else to say.

"Yeah, I agree. I'm taking a break from mafia movies," I smirked.

But this bizarre day didn't end there. Later on, I took a walk alone down the streets of London. Well, I guess I wasn't alone, due to every stranger and crowd you could imagine, but in terms of people I knew, I was alone.

I paused by that small graveyard, the graveyard that my uncle and I had been visiting for years. I walked through the small shack that served as an entrance and exit, nodded in greeting to someone hunched over a grave, and selected that familiar memoir I had looked at for ten years.

**R.I.P**

**Claire Foley**

I sat down on the grass, not caring about the recent rain, and hugged my legs to my chest despite my pencil skirt. I barely remembered Claire; she died when I was only four. But I knew enough to miss her. Terribly. Cherry trees in released a few of the pink petals of the cherry blossoms. If this wasn't in a graveyard, it would be more beautiful and romantic than sad. But here, it was the latter.

I hid my face in my arms, half mourning, half sleepy. I thought about the nightmare, how the voice the wisp had sounded so familiar...a few moments of this passed by, and it hit me.

It was Claire's voice.

I look up at the realization at this, and I see it: the wisp. In confusion, I rubbed my eyelids, wondering if I fell asleep. No...everything looked real. Or at least, it felt real...aren't all dreams like that?

The ghostly mist moved to the fountain in the middle of the little yard. On the side of the fountain, a carved memoir laid there, faded as if it was there since the beginning of time. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I read what it said:

**_The moon reflects the Sun_**

**_The darkness is created by light_**

**_What you have lost is created by none_**

**_But your love is strong even in night_**

**_Mystery will never be kept at bay_**

**_As forever fades away_**

I knew it! I KNEW the words sounded familiar when the ghost chanted them! This is where I've seen them...and heard them! They were lyrics to a song that was tradition to sing whenever there was a funeral here. I've heard it many, many times, but the professor felt sick whenever he heard it and left the graveyard whenever there were signs of a funeral...maybe that's why he didn't recognize the lyrics.

There gotta be some sort of importance to them...but what? I looked up at the wisp.

It was gone. And I didn't wake up.

* * *

**Hey, my little brother looks more like our uncle than anyone. It's possible! ;)**

**Let me know what you think! The next chapter will come up soon! :D**


	2. The Translations

**FYI, Google Translations did the different lanugages part for me. If anything is wrong, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! **

**Alright, everyone knows the disclaimer: I only own Roxana. So here is Ch. 2! Enjoy :)**

* * *

Books were hogging my workplace, refusing to give me enough room to even write a one-word note. I finally swept off all of the library books off of Flora's desk in frustration and buried my head into my hands.

"Roxy?" Luke called from the other side of the bedroom door. "Are you ok? I heard a thud."

"I'm fine Luke," I called back, trying not to sound impatient. 'Cause I sure felt like it. "It's...um...just homework."

"Ok, let me know if I can help." I heard his footsteps echoing through the hallway, getting quieter and quieter with each second.

In truth, I was looking up the lyrics to the funeral song in different languages, hence all the library books. I had only written down the words in Spanish and I planned to do others, if I weren't so prickly. I was just glad there were no college classes today.

Earlier that day, I tried singing the song near the fountain. I thought that maybe something would happen. Nothing. Absolutely nothing happened. Unless you count the wisp coming back.

It said something (no, whispered something) to me. I couldn't really make it out, so it took me awhile to figure out what it said.

"_Sing the poem differently. In a way that everyone knows, but no one knows."_

I knew it had something to do with singing it in a different language. But the second part? I could only shrug. Normally I would bring this sort of thing to the professor, but I didn't want to explain everything. Plus, he'd say it was a dream or my imagination. I refused to believe that. It was too real. Luke would think it would be schizophrenia...either jokingly or seriously, I wasn't sure which. And Flora? She would think I was pulling another prank on her. In other words, no one would believe me. That's why it was secret.

After making myself look at one more book, I rushed down to the graveyard fountain (using the fact that we ran out of bread as an excuse to leave). I took out my notes.

"The moon reflects the Sun. The darkness is created by light. What you have lost is created by none. But your love is strong even in night. Mystery will never be kept at bay. As forever fades away." I sung, as a double-check. Nope. Still nothing.

I tried Spanish this time. "La luna refleja el sol. La oscuridad es creado por la luz. Lo que hemos perdido es creado por nadie. Pero su amor es fuerte incluso en la noche. El misterio no se mantendrá a raya. Como siempre se desvanece."

A breeze blew through my hair. Absolute silence.

French maybe? "La lune reflète le soleil. L'obscurité est créée par la lumière. Qu'est-ce que vous avez perdu est créé par nul. Mais ton amour est fort, même dans la nuit. Mystère ne sera jamais tenu en échec. Comme toujours s'efface."

Nope. That didn't do it either. What was I missing?

I plopped down on the grass. I didn't know what to do. Could it be that one part that I couldn't decipher?

"In a way everyone knows, but no one knows..." I thought out loud. I flipped through my notebook out of boredom and confusion, looking at all the notes I had taken over the years. I stopped at a page I had written notes on back in 4th grade. I smiled. This was when we learned about scientific names and how to analyze articles.

Animal Species: **Cat**

Scientific Name: _**Felis catus**_

Description of Animal: **All colors, can pull in claws, can climb trees but then gets stuck and has to have firefighters come and rescue them,**

I stopped reading right there. If a lightbulb could appear above my head right at that moment, it would've.

A way to speak that everyone knows but no one knows? It's Latin! It's used by scientists everywhere, but it's considered a dead language! I couldn't stop smirking. I felt so dumb.

Now, only one question: How do I translate the lyrics into Latin? From what I remembered, the only Latin book the library had was checked out. So maybe...

Crud. Layton knew a little Latin from his archaeology digs and translations. I'd have to go to him without blowing my cover.

Putting the bread down on the table, I went back into Flora and my room. I made sure to time myself, trying to take a long enough time to convince the others that I was doing homework. After awhile, I came out with a piece of paper, pretending to be confused.

"Professor, could you translate this into Latin?" I asked.

"Of course," he replied, taking my paper and started writing below it. "I assume this is for school?"

"Yes, I just need this as a pointer for the rest of my homework." I lied. I bit my lip. Mum would surely scold me silly if she found out what I was doing.

"Let me know if you need anything else." Layton said, giving my paper back to me.

"No, it's fine. I just need this. Thanks," I smiled. Great, he didn't suspect! Or, if he did, he didn't show it.

A few hours later, as the sun begun to set, I snuck out again to the fountain. I took out the piece of paper. Below the normal lyrics, there were Latin words. And below those...

_I hope you know what you're doing Roxana._

Oh no. He DID suspect! Drat, should have known better. Ah well, there is no holding back now.

"Luna reflectitur Solis. In tenebris est a lux. Perdidisti quod non creatur. Sed amor fortis etiam in nocte. Mysterium numquam custodivit ad sinus. Ut aeternum marcescit."

A mini earthquake shook beneath my feet. The ground surrounding the fountain sunk, spirling to make stairs. Walking around the fountain, I found the top.

_"This had better not be a trap,"_ I thought. I climbed down the stairs, oblivious to the fact that I was being followed.

When I got to the bottom, a wooden door with a rope handle stood against the soil. Writing that was once carved into the door was filled in with dirt on the door. "Here lies a great treasure hunter, known for his greed, known for his courage," I read out loud. A tomb? That was hidden? No way. Maybe...all the treasure that the hunter found was buried with him? It would make sense.

I creak the door open. _"No skeletons, no skeletons, please please please, no skeletons,"_ I thought, not wanting to have a heart attack. I ducked in, avoiding cobwebs and half-expecting something to come out and attack me.

"Curiosity is the thing that killed the cat Miss Layton," said a scratchy voice. I didn't need to scream. I knew who it was.

* * *

**Didja get that it was Latin before I gave it away? Heh heh heh... ;)**

**Originally this was going to be a two-shot. But the second part just got really long so...yes.**

**Ch. 3 should be coming up in a few minutes!**


	3. The Answer Is Normal

**Here it is! The finale! And if Inspector Chelmey and Constable Barton are OOC...sorry. I can't really write those two very well... ;)**

* * *

"So this was a trap..." I said under my breath but loud enough for him to hear.

"What did you think it was?" The man asked me, breathing down my neck even though he was more than a few feet away. I turned around to face him, his flashlight shining in my face. I did not dare give him a single glimpse of fear.

"What do you want Don Paolo?" I asked half-fearlessly, crossing my arms.

"What is down here of course!" He exclaimed, pretending to be hurt. "Why else would I use you and your 'all-knowing' uncle to make this tomb appear?"

"What about the wisp?"

"The thingamajig was a hologram made and controlled by yours truly." He held up a metal ball and pressed a button. A ghost-like mist appeared in front of him. "I overheard what your dream was."

"Quite fast to make a contraption like that." Shoot. I sounded like Layton on that one.

"It was already done. It just needed something to project. I just scanned the mist from a children's book. I'm amazed it manipulated you."

"Be quiet," I said. I wanted to say 'shut-up' so badly, but my habitual manners got in the way. "What exactly is down here?"

"I think you already know Miss Layton." Don Paolo shined the flashlight over my shoulder. Hesitantly, I turned around. Just as I figured, there were heaps upon heaps of gold coins and jewels, hundreds of years old.

"My guess is that you want to get rich off of this?" I pointlessly questioned.

"Correct Captain Obvious. I knew that I had to use Latin in order for me to take the riches but I don't know a thing about Latin."

"Umm...you're a scientist."

"A technology scientist. Not a zoologist thank you very much."

"_Jerk,"_ I thought.

"So if I were you I would run along now." Don Paolo walked past me, towards the timeless treasure. "Go ahead and try to warn the police. I'll be gone along with the gold. They'll probably disregard you just like they do with any other child."

"Unless there's another witness," a familiar voice reached the conversation. Don Paolo whipped around, his light catching on Layton, crossed arms and a deep frown. I silently sighed of relief.

"Like I said though, I'll be gone long before the authorities get here."

"What if the authorities were already here?" There was a sense of dread in Don Paolo's face.

"_No way out of this one Pauly,"_ I smirked in my head. Sure enough, Inspector Chelmey and Constable Barton came down the stairs.

"Incredibly dark isn't it Inspector?" Barton asked, oblivious to the suspect in front of them.

"What on earth makes you say-I've caught you in the act Don Paolo! Trying to kidnap a child again I see? And the gold? You've got some nerve-"

So many things happened after that. Don Paolo dropped his flashlight and bolted out the door. The darkness was enough to conceal his escape, even from the professor. When light came back, it was from Layton's fire match. Although light was dim, it was enough to see each other.

"You ain't getting away this time!" the inspector called. He and his assistant ran out of the tomb. And with me on his bad side (who isn't?), I seriously couldn't mind less.

When the professor and I made eye contact, all that I could do was give him one raised eyebrow and turn my palms upwards. He knew what I was asking.

"You bite your lip when you lie Roxana."

The only response I could muster was taking off my glasses and pinching the bridge of my nose. _"Dang you and your observant brain."_

"So you followed me and saw Don Paolo tailing me?" I ask, my voice at its lowest octave.

"Yes. I was worried that he would attempt to kidnap you so I flagged down the Inspector who just happened to be in the area."

I put my glasses back on. "Ok, let's get out of here. This place is starting to creep me out."

So the museum is now putting the money on display. Not all of it of course, just a sample. The rest is shipping to other museums all over the world. And I was apparently the discoverer.

Luckily, the frequent media that came by often died down pretty quickly. I was quite happy about that. Leave all the media stuff to the professor for Pete's sake.

Everything went to normal again in the course of a month, with the addition of Luke. I open the door to Layton's office one day and Luke is practicing his point that the professor did.

"It's you!" he yelled at the bookcase.

"Sorry to say this little buddy," I intervene (Luke looks pretty embarrassed at this moment), "but you're wrong." I put down my Sudoku book. "The real culprit...is you!" I point to the table lamp.

"What's your reasoning Miss Layton?" he asks in a Dr. Watson accent.

"Don't you see my dear Triton?" I say, in a Sherlock Holmes impression. "The lamp has all the BRIGHT ideas!"

"What are you two going on about?" Layton interrupts, walking into the room.

Luke and I burst out laughing. Yep, things are definitely back to normal.

* * *

**Sorry if it's rushed. I had a small case of writer's block. ;)**

**Anyway, please review and hope you enjoyed!**


End file.
